Entertainment

How World Cup Kid Escorts Live a Young Soccer Fan's Dream

World Cup player-escorts and their dads: 10-year-old Caleb Phillips and his father Derek, along with nine-year-old Mallory Stonier and her father Brandon, at the Flamengo soccer club's practice facility in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 20, 2014.

On Friday afternoon here in the World Cup's glamours capital, more than a dozen future player escorts were engaged in a haphazard soccer scrimmage at the headquarters and training facility of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, Brazil's most popular professional team. Some scored stunning goals; some seemed fuzzy on the soccer rules; most looked happy just to be there. All were between six and 10 years old.

They'd all arrived in Rio from the United States a few days prior, and would soon fly out to Manaus, where each will join hands with an American player to lead the USMNT onto the Arena da Amazonia pitch before a critical Group G matchup against Portugal on Sunday.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Caleb Phillips, a 10-year-old with a nest of curly hair from Oklahoma City, said shyly after the scrimmage at Flamengo. "No one ever gets to do it, really."

Phillips and his peers were selected by McDonald's, one of the World Cup's official sponsors, through a random drawing that was advertised in franchises across the country. Their winning entries were good for an all-expense-paid trip for them and a parent to Brazil for the World Cup and the experience of walking the U.S. players onto the pitch before the Portugal match.

A prior wave had done the same for the USMNT's opener against Ghana on June 16, and another will take their places before the Americans' final group-stage matchup against Germany on June 26.

Every kid you see walk players onto the pitch before World Cup games is part of the McDonald's program, although details of how they were selected and their time in Brazil vary by country. All in all, more than 1,400 will get the experience at this summer's World Cup.

Brandon Stonier of Vancouver, Washington, clicked a banner ad for the McDonald's contest while browsing a soccer website months ago. He signed up, then forgot about it. Several weeks later, he learned he and his nine-year-old daughter Mallory were bound for Brazil.

Children who will escort the USA soccer team onto the field before a World Cup match this weekend play an informal scrimmage at the Flamengo soccer club's practice facility in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 20, 2014.

Image: Mashable/Sam Laird

"Being in the stadium, watching her walk out of the tunnel with the players — I mean, I've always wanted to experience a World Cup game, so that's awesome," he said on Friday. "But for her to experience that, it's just something she'll never forget. That's definitely going to be the best part."

Then there's the incredible story of Cinta Mindes and her six-year-old daughter, Abigail, from West Jordan, Utah. Fifteen years ago, Cinta left her hometown — Manaus — to start a new life in the United States.

She met an American named Jeremy there, and they got married and had Abigail. During a lunch break from his job at a medical supply company, Jeremy hit the local McDonald's drive-through. On a lark, he entered the World Cup player-escort sweepstakes.

Abigail has only been back to mother's hometown once, when she was two years old, and Cinta says her daughter doesn't remember anything from the trip. But when the Mindes family got word of winning the World Cup sweepstakes, it came with a serendipitous placement: Manaus, where Abigail will meet many of her extended family members in earnest for the first time.

This despite the fact that Cinta's backstory was not included in the sweepstakes application.

"I feel blessed," Cinta said on Friday, as Abigail wandered about the Flamengo practice pitch.

Nothing, however, sums up the special experience of walking a soccer hero onto the pitch better than this photo USMNT star Clint Dempsey shared on Instagram just before the World Cup began.

"Just landed," Dempsey captioned the photo upon arriving in Brazil on June 9. "Dope pic to remind us to see the world through the eyes of a kid."

Australia, "The Socceroos"

Belgium, "The Red Devils"

The Belgians are known affectionately in all three of the country's spoken languages -- Dutch, French and German -- as "The Red Devils." The name was coined when a journalist called the Belgian squad "The Red Devils" after three "devilish" wins in 1906, just two years after forming.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Zmajevi"

Brazil, "Seleção"

"The Selection" is Brazil's nickname because it's what Brazilians call every soccer team: a "seleção. But only the national team is "the "Seleção." Brazil is also known as "Canarihno" ("Little Canary") due to the team's bright yellow uniforms.

Costa Rica, "Los Ticos"

Croatia, "Vatreni"

"Vatreni" means "The Blazers" in Croatian, a nod to both the passion of the players on the pitch and the fans in the stands. Lately, Croatia is also known as "Bilic's Boys," a reference to the team's head coach, Slaven Bilic.

Ecuador, "La Tricolor"

England, "The Three Lions"

England's namesake refers to the country's rich history, going back to Richard the Lionheart, the King of England from 1189 to 1199. The three lions that appear on the national team's crest also appear on the Royal Arms of England.

Ghana, "The Black Stars"

Greece, "Ethniki"

"Ethniki" or "national" is Greece's nickname. The Greek team is also known as "Piratiko," after a Greek radio broadcaster who christened the team with the name during the opening ceremony of UEFA Euro 2004.

Honduras, "Los Catrachos"

"Los Catrachos" is the name for native Hondurans, derived from General Florencio Xatruch who fought an American insurrectionist's attempts to reintroduce slavery. Xatruch's men were called "xatruches," which then became "catruches," and so on.

Japan, "Samurai Blue"

Mexico, "El Tri"

Every national team's nickname honors its country, but Mexico's nickname "El Tri" conjures up intense national pride. A shortened "El Tricolor," Mexico's nickname refers to the three colors -- red, white and green -- of the Mexican flag.

Netherlands, "Oranje"

Named for the team's famous orange kits, the color is actually nowhere to be found on the Netherlands' flag. Instead it refers to the color of the old Dutch royal family: House of Orange-Nassau. The team's invention of a precise method of passing to maintain ball control -- Total Football -- also earned the Dutch team the nickname and Kubrickian homage "Clockwork Orange."

Nigeria, "The Super Eagles"

Nigeria's nickname is rooted in classic one-upmanship. The national team adopted the nickname "The Super Eagles" after losing to Cameroon's "The Indomitable Lions" in the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Russia, "Sbornaya"

South Korea, "Taegeuk Warriors"

The "taegeuk" refers to the symbol on South Korea's national flag, which represents a spiritual balance, similar to China's yin and yang symbol. Also known as "The Reds" due to the team's red uniforms, fans have called themselves the "Red Devils" since 1995.

Spain, "La Furia Roja"

"The Red Fury," Spain's nickname, comes from two sources. "La Roja," like other team nicknames, comes from the color of the team's uniforms, while "La Furia" describes its "direct, aggressive, spirited style" of play in the 1920s -- a "fury" on the pitch.

Switzerland, "La Nati"

The Swiss team kept its nickname short and to the point. "La Nati," means "The National Team" in French. Due to the many languages used in Switzerland, the team is also known as "Schweizer Nati" in German and "Squadra Nazionale" in Italian, but they ultimately all mean the same thing.

Uruguay, "La Celeste"

U.S.A., "The Yanks"

Unlike other countries competing in the World Cup, the U.S. doesn't have an official nickname. In the past, the team has been called "The Yanks," but the jury's still out on it being the official name of the U.S. Men's National Team. Other nicknames include "The Stars and Stripes" or just "Team USA."

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